Last month, Tennis Star and new Mom Serena Williams shared her experience of life-threatening complications that arose shortly after giving birth to her daughter. In doing so, she shined a light on the often ignored reality that countless Black women in the U.S. are more likely to suffer similar complications or die from pregnancy and childbirth than white women.

To help galvanize nationwide awareness around the disparities and the solutions, we urge you to join the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) during April 11 to 17th in launching and leading the first-ever national "Black Maternal Health Week" (#BMHW18) to:

Increase attention to the state of Black maternal health in the US, the root causes of poor maternal health outcomes, and community-driven policy, program, and care solutions;

Amplify the voices of Black mamas, women, families, and stakeholders on this important issue;

Serve as a national platform for Black-women led entities and efforts on maternal health, birth justice, and reproductive justice, including African immigrant and Afro Latinx groups; and

Enhance community organizing on Black maternal health via community conversations, events, and outreach.

If a nation's maternal mortality rate is a pulsecheck on our overall health, the U.S. is flatlining. Please join our movement to declare that #BlackMamasMatter and make it known that the time for change is long-past due!